Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #32 (Worship). September 22, 2013

Hello my dear friends! One of the distinguishing marks of the disciple of Jesus is a heart that is set apart to worship God. We want our way, often. When we want His, we are saying to Him: "Take my heart all of it and have Your way with me."

Because He reigns over all, He reigns over our heart too.

Learning to bend my will to His,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #32

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad. Psalm 97:1

Core Value: Worship

God is in charge, and we are not. This is a true statement, but we often act in ways that seek to keep us in control. How do you know if you have a heart of worship? The true heart of worship is an obedient heart, a surrendered heart, a heart that is completely His.

Principle #32 & Personal Application: Quality disciples worship a God who transcends all racial, cultural and political boundaries.

• Jesus is Lord of every person, no matter the color of one’s own skin

• Jesus is Lord of every culture, no matter the preference we choose

• Jesus is Lord of every nation, no matter where in the world it might be

• Jesus is Lord of all

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What does it mean for me to have the Lord reign over my life?

Have I ever worshiped with another believer who was “different” than me?

What can I learn from other members of the body of Christ that will enhance my worship of God?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am thankful that You reign. You reign over people from every race. You reign over every culture. You reign over every tribe and nation. You reign over me.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…

Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.

You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #36--Worship--September 17, 2011

Hello my dear friends! The Psalmist, once again, directs our conversation towards the core value of "Worship." Worship is not about us, but about Jesus. In today's Psalm we are going to be reminded that worship is more than just singing a few praise songs on Sunday morning. To contrast, worship is a sacrifice of praise--all day long.

May our worship of Jesus be like a sweet aroma to Him.

Learning with you,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #36

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

Core Value: Worship

Why do we worship? Is our worship founded upon obligation or gratitude? Do we offer worship to God out of a sense of obligation where we feel we owe God so much that the “least” we can do is give Him our worship? Or is our worship to God offered from a heart that has fallen in love with its Maker? In our culture it seems that even worship of God can become another consumable product that is used and then thrown aside for the next, best thing. The Bible has plenty to say about worship and how it is used to please God. For one, worship, biblical worship, is not limited to a specific location, day or time.

Worship Is Not About Where You Worship; It Is About Who You Worship.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." | Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. | You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. | Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. | God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:20-24 (NIV)

There are some people who believe that the only place where God can be worshiped appropriately is in a church building on a Sunday morning at a certain time. Thankfully, God has refused to allow Himself to be placed in a box. The wonder of worship is that God can be worshiped anyplace, at anytime.

Principle #36 & Personal Application: The quality disciple experiences the presence of the Lord both day and night, resulting in a life of on-going praise and worship.

• We worship the Lord for His unfailing and unending lovingkindness (mercy).

• We worship the Lord for His song: a song of deliverance, a song of comfort, a song of praise sung to His glory.

• We worship the Lord for His Lordship of our lives: He is the God of my life.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What are the circumstances of my life that often hinder my worship of the Lord?

What would my life as a Christian begin to look like if my worship of the Lord would be greater than my worries?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith in You, I thank You that You do command Your lovingkindness in the daytime. By faith, You do bless me with Your song in the night. May I always worship and praise You: for You, O Lord, are the God of my life.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.

www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

Looking to go deeper in your devotional experience?

A fresh resource for your spiritual growth is Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace. Now in a downloadable ebook! http://t.co/vtTWQZy5